A kasbah, also spelled casbah and qasba, is a fortress or kind of medina. These ochre-colored edifices, found in Morocco and Algeria, were built by Berbers in the 1700s. They served as village leader's home and, in times of conflict, provided shelter to the town's people. Like a castle, owning a kasbah was a sign of wealth and importance. And while kasbahs come in a variety of shapes and sizes they all have a few things in common. Kasbah's are made of a mud-clay mixture - earth, palm bark, and water - called pisé. The outer walls are often decorated with geometric patterns. Kasbah's have corner towers that are narrower at the top than at the bottom.